Electrostatic hazards during stirring of flammable organic solvents and suspensions in electrostatically protected plastic containers

At present, stirring of flammable liquids in rigid intermediate bulk containers (RIBCs) is allowed only if, firstly, the RIBC is electrostatically protected and secondly either a liquid such us water-based paint is used or the RIBC is inerted. To verify the necessity of these restrictions, several experimental setups were created to investigate the charging of stirred liquids and suspensions. The following questions were answered: 1) Which liquids/suspensions charge the most during stirring? 2) Is ethyl acetate a special charge accumulator? 3) Which safety measures are necessary for safe stirring in RIBCs?